Ten Tips To Top The Best Place To Visit Vietnam Much Better While Doing Other Things

And also, the palace kitchen, still equipped with old school machines, was pretty cool. It was very interesting to visit the Independence Palace in Ho Chi Minh City, and I think the highlight for me was strolling through the dark and creepy basement. After buying a ticket you can then go inside, and walk around a few of the floors to see all sorts of rooms including meeting rooms, dining rooms, and lounges that are fit for royalty.

Now a museum, but still used for official government meetings and events, the Independence Palace was the former home of the president of South Vietnam during the Vietnam War. There are a number of things you can do when you're at the Bitexco Financial Tower, but by far the most popular attraction is to take advantage of the height of the building to get a view of the city. From a distance, or from the sky, it's easily the most recognizable building in Ho Chi Minh City, for its tallness and for its modern design.

This museum, I thought, was a little old and sleepy, but for just 15,000 VND for entrance price, I thought it was still worth having a quick browse. Most of the displays show the history and making of Ho Chi Minh City, and also there are a number of Vietnamese culture exhibits as well. Another highlight were the giant coils of incense that burn slowly, hanging from the ceiling, and filling the temple and atmosphere with smoke.

However, as soon as you step inside, the beauty of the temple, mostly through the intricate details and carvings, is revealed. From the outside, the pagoda honestly didn't look amazing. If you go in the morning, anytime from about 6 am - 8 am, walk around the back streets of the official indoor market, and you'll find an incredible fresh wet market, teeming with food and fresh Vietnamese ingredients.

Before going to Binh Tay Market, I had read about it from Eating Asia that, there was a wet market in the morning behind the market. It has a similar feel to it as Ben Thanh, and even many of the products that are sold - from clothes to food - are basically quite similar. But I actually found Binh Tay Market to have better prices, be a more local experience, and I overall enjoyed visiting it more than Ben Thanh.

Honestly though, I probably took Vinasun 90% of the time. Mai Linh - Mai Linh is the other big taxi company in Ho Chi Minh City. My wife and I took the bus in Saigon many times during our stay, and some buses cost 5,000 VND and others were 6,000 VND per ride.

There's a color coded map , and though it's kind of blurry to see all the numbers and city bus routes, it does help to plan a bus route to somewhere you'd like to go. There's an astounding quantity of scooters in the city. Saigon may very well be the scooter capital of the world.

I think walking is one the best ways to explore any city, and you can stop whenever you like, and find delicious food along your route. If you fly into Saigon, you'll arrive at Tân Sơn Nhất International Airport. You may read some stories of theft and snatching in Ho Chi Minh City.

Enter your name and e-mail below to download your free PDF copy of my Saigon travel vietnam guide. In Vietnam, you'll find it served on street corners and upscale restaurants and in every family home.